


Waiting for the Love of a Traveling Soldier

by dayishujia



Series: Sheith Tumblr Prompts [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Heavily influenced by the Dixie Chicks, I blame the Dixie Chicks for this, Keith works at a bookstore, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Missed Chances, Off-screen Character Death, Shiro is a soldier, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-20
Updated: 2016-09-20
Packaged: 2018-08-16 08:27:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8095066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dayishujia/pseuds/dayishujia
Summary: prompt: sheith unrequited love!!Keith falls in love with a frequent guest at the bookstore.





	

**Author's Note:**

> read on tumblr [here](http://lilmissginge.tumblr.com/post/150334079924/sheith-unrequited-love)
> 
> this got a little less unrequited love-y and more angsty. whatever you do, do not listen to the [dixie chicks' traveling soldier ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hlYNU6xPJc) while reading, like i did when writing. _whatever you do._
> 
> read the tags.

He wasn’t sure when it happened but suddenly and all at once, Keith was in love.

He was a regular customer at the bookstore where Keith worked. At first, he appeared maybe once a month at most, walked around like he was checking the place out and then left.  

Keith didn’t think anything of it; people did stuff like that all the time, it was nothing new. But then the guy started coming in more frequently. He’d pick up a book and sit with it for a while before putting it back exactly where he found it and leaving.

It was nearly a month before he bought something. He dropped the book on the counter in front of Keith and amidst the clutter of bookstore knickknacks. Keith looked up from the book he was reading and admittedly was surprised to see that guy standing there.

Keith stuck a bookmark covered in pictures of dogs in the book and shoved it under the counter. 

“Is that everything?” he asked, standing up and making to grab for the book. 

The man nodded and fished for his wallet. Keith gave him the total and wasn’t sure what to do when he saw the red flush that covered the tips of the man’s ears. 

He was cute.

He handed Keith the cash and didn’t wait for him to bag his purchase - he gathered up the book in his arms and dashed out the door.

Keith watched him go.

He was  _really_  cute.

Keith never figured himself to be attracted to a manly-appearance but it really worked for the stranger. 

Keith liked his undercut, the way his bangs were just a bit too long and got into his eyes. He liked his strong jaw and the way his lips pouted when he was nervous. And his arms were pretty nice too.

Then the bell rang, pulling Keith from his thoughts. He looked over toward the door and saw a hip-looking dark-skinned girl with white-as-snow hair and red-wine lips. Next to her was a smaller girl, pale with golden-red hair hidden under a straw hat. He liked their dresses.

Keith sat down again and picked up his book. 

* * *

The man started coming more and more. A couple of times, he worked up the courage to ask Keith about books and for recommendations. After the tenth time he’d come in in as many days, Keith got his name - Shirogane.

After a couple more visits, Shirogane told Keith to just call him ‘Shiro’.

A few days later, Keith thought they he could consider him a friend.

Keith liked the way Shiro talked. He liked the way he used his hands when he got too excited or embarrassed, the way his ears colored when he got shy, but most of all, Keith liked how Shiro hung around the store to keep him company. 

They could talk for hours on end. Even if it was just mindless chatter, if it was with Shiro, Keith enjoyed every minute. He looked forward to it - each conversation, no matter how small, was easily the highlight of Keith’s day. 

Keith wasn’t sure when it happened but he was sure he was a little in love with Shiro.

He was working up the courage to say something about it to him. Keith was about 78 percent sure Shiro was gay too so there was a pretty good chance that confessing his crush to him wouldn’t leave him with a black eye. 

But every time Keith tried to say something about his crush to Shiro, Keith found an excuse to put it off. 

That went on for weeks.

“Well, I should be going,” Shiro said, dusting off his bluejeans. He was smiling but it looked a little different from his usual smiles. Tighter, more restrained. 

Keith wasn’t going to ask, even though he wanted to. He wanted to know what was bothering him, he wanted to help. Then Shiro said, “I just want to let you know I won’t be back for a couple months.”

Keith nodded and pretended like knowing Shiro wouldn’t be around for a while didn’t bother him. “Okay,” he said evenly. He busied himself with fiddling with the knickknacks on the countertop. “Where are you going?”

“I’m being deployed overseas again,” Shiro answered. “I’m thinking about retiring after this one.”

“How long will you be gone?”

“About a year,” Shiro said. He coughed behind a closed fist and tried to smile but it looked stilted and unnatural on his face. “But time will fly. I’ll be back to annoy you at work soon enough.”

“You don’t annoy me,” Keith said before he could think better of it. Silence hung heavy in the air for a long moment and Keith cleared his throat. He thought about confessing how he felt right then and there, but all that came out was, “Well, be safe.”

Shiro smiled at him again. “I’ll see you soon, Keith.”

* * *

The days turned to weeks and the weeks to months. Keith tried not to think about how quickly time was passing or about Shiro but it got increasingly harder as time went on.

He was still falling for Shiro, even when he wasn’t around. 

After the first few months, Keith started finding letters from Shiro in the store’s mailbox. They were never more than a single page long and mostly just contained little anecdotes Shiro thought up in his downtime.

Keith thought Shiro should become a writer when he was no longer a soldier. He could imagine the first book Shiro would write would instantly become a nationwide bestseller and he can already see the smile on Shiro’s face as people talked about his book and praised him for it.

He’d create a special display in the store just for that book.

The letters came in the beginning half of the month each month and Keith looked forward to each one until, one month, the letter didn’t come.

Keith just figured Shiro was busy and promptly thought nothing of it. 

But then the following month there still wasn’t a letter. Nor the next month.

Keith tried not to let it bother him. Shiro was just busy, that’s all. Nothing more. 

Time passes and Keith tried not to let the distinct lack of letters from Shiro bother him. Soon enough, he’d be home from deployment and Keith can scold him in person. And, after the scolding, Keith entertained the idea of maybe kissing Shiro, followed by a confession. Or maybe the other way around; he hadn’t decided yet. 

Keith held firmly onto the hope Shiro would be back soon. Shiro promised he would be, after all. So when a customer came into the store one day, looking strangely familiar, Keith thought nothing of it. Why should he not? He works in retail - she had probably been in the store before.

But then, she comes up to the counter without a book or any sort of purchase, just a single sheet of paper in her hands. Her eyes were tired but soft and familiar. She fidgeted a little and asked, “Are you Keith?” 

“Yes, ma’am,” Keith answered politely. “How can I help you?”

“You were a friend of my son’s,” she stated simply. She placed the sheet of paper on the counter and slid it in his direction. Keith glanced at it for a moment before looking back at her. 

“You’re Shiro’s mom?”

The woman nodded. “Yes.” She looked like she wanted to say something more but, when she didn’t, Keith didn’t ask, just watched her rifle through her purse. She pulled out a card and set it carefully atop the piece of paper. 

She looked at Keith once more, just for a moment before bowing her head. “I hope to see you there.”

Keith was about to ask what she meant but she was quickly gone, disappearing out of the store. So, instead, Keith looked down at the card and the paper.

He picked up the card first, pulling it out of the envelope. It was put in backwards so Keith had to flip it over to see what was on it - and the first thing he saw was a picture of Shiro. 

It was a very charming picture, Keith decided; he always liked Shiro’s smile. 

As his eyes flitted over the contents of the card, Keith’s mood quickly dampened -  _it was a funeral notice_.

Keith dropped the card like it burned him. It swayed a little in the air before landing on the counter. His eyes darted to the piece of paper and his hands scrambled for it.

The letter was the same. 

 _“If you’re reading this then….”_ Keith stopped reading for a moment and focused on just breathing. In and out, in and out.

Keith heard about letters like this, the kind that soldiers write in the chance that they die in the line of duty. He never really doubted that it was a thing that was done, but he never thought he’d ever be on the receiving end of such a letter. 

Shiro was dead. 

Dying in the line of duty made him a hero, right? The thought didn’t make the knowledge that Shiro would never walk through the door again, never smile at him, or tell a stupid joke ever again sit any lighter in Keith’s heart.

Keith closed the shop early that afternoon. 

**Author's Note:**

> [prompt me here](lilmissginge.tumblr.com/ask)   
>  [talk to me on tumblr](lilmissginge.tumblr.com)


End file.
